The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is an impressive mid-range phone, brought to the Philippines by premium electronics retailer Digital Walker.
With a starting price of Php 21,990, the handset joins the local market as a capable 5G phone with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chip, a 50MP main camera, and a 65W Warp Charge. If you’re interested to know a bit more about the Nord 2, read on as we share our unboxing and hands-on impressions. Let’s go.
Price
OnePlus Nord 2 5G 8GB + 128GB: Php 21,990
OnePlus Nord 2 5G 12GB + 256GB: Php 25,990
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G has a price of Php 21,990 for the Blue Haze 8GB + 128GB model, and Php 25,990 for the Gray Sierra 12GB + 256GB model. It is available in Digital Walker stores and online on DigitalWalker.PH.
Unboxing
Nowadays, most budget and mid-range phones come in cheap, run-of-the-mill boxes. Not the OnePlus Nord 2 5G. It’s actually packed in a fancy box, one you often see in flagship devices. There’s nothing wrong with it, mind you, it’s just surprising to see on a midrange phone. It really sets the stage for a premium experience.
Inside, you have the Nord 2 5G phone, along with the usual accessories. Another surprise here is the addition of a sheet of OnePlus stickers, just like what you get with a new iPhone.
In the box
- OnePlus Nord 2 5G
- Phone case
- Pre-installed Screen protector
- 65W Warp Charge power adapter
- Warp Type-C cable
- SIM tray ejector
- OnePlus Stickers
- Documentation
Initial Review, Hands-on Impressions
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a good-looking device. Looking at pictures of the phone doesn’t do it justice. Our review unit is the Blue Haze 8GB + 128GB, and it’s a beauty. Its a version of blue that looks subtle, gentle even, and very pleasing to the eye.
At the front, we have a 6.43-inch FHD Fluid AMOLED display with a 2400 x 1080, a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and support for sRGB and Display P3. The screen is sharp with punchy colors and, overall, is very pleasant to look at.
The display has a punch hole selfie camera on the top left and a pre-installed plastic screen protector. The earpiece, which also acts as one of two speakers, is tucked on the upper bezel, together with a sensor. There’s also an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is the most part fast and responsive.
At the back, you have the triple cameras with two large lenses, one small one, and the LED flash. It’s on a rectangular camera island that juts out prominently from the panel.
On the left side is the volume rocker with a chrome finish. And on the right, you have the power button (also in chrome) and the alert slider. The alert slider is, in my opinion, one feature that manufacturers should consider adding to their smartphones. It has the simple function of allowing you to quickly put your phone on silent or vibrate. iPhone users can attest to how useful a switch like this is.
The top has a secondary microphone, while at the bottom, you have the SIM tray, a microphone, the USB-C port, and the other speaker.
The Nord 2 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI chip. Our unit has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. It runs on OxygenOS 11.3, based on Android 11, and packs a 4,500mAh dual-cell battery and a blazing 65W Warp Charge.
Together with the 90Hz refresh rate, the UI is butter smooth. Basic navigation is snappy and responsive. Apps are quick to open with no lag in sight.
OxygenOS also comes with a video enhancement engine baked in the software. There are two options, both turned on by default. The Ai Resolution Boost work to enhance the resolution of videos, boosting details in low-quality scenes. The AI Color Boost, on the other hand, uses AI scene-recognition technology to provide optimal color enhancements to videos.
The Nord 2 uses Dirac sound to optimize the audio performance. It has four audio presets Smart, Movie, Game, and Music. Buried in the settings, you can also find the Real HD Sound feature, which is active by default. With headphones on, it elevates the experience of watching videos and movies on your phone. It makes the soundstage wider and introduces a good amount of reverb.
The handset also comes with stereo speakers. Its loud and sound quality is good. You don’t get that much bass, but its clear. The sound does suffer a bit at full volume. Its not a deal breaker by any means, its just something to take note of.
SEE ALSO: Digital Walker announces the OnePlus Nord CE 5G for the PH market
As for the cameras, it has a 50MP main backed by a Sony IMX766 sensor with an f/1.88 aperture, OIS, a 1.0 µm pixel size, and a 6P element lens. The second camera is an 8MP ultra-wide, and the third is a 2MP mono.
So far, photo quality is decent. Check out our camera samples below.
Wrap Up
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a very decent smartphone, and I very much love what it offers. My initial impressions are quite good. For the price, you are getting a lot of value. It features an appealing design, 5G connectivity, a large 90Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP main camera, and 65W Warp Charge, to name a few.
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G 8GB + 128GB is priced at Php 21,990. The 12GB + 256GB retails for Php 25,990. It is available in Digital Walker stores and online on DigitalWalker.PH.
That’s it for our unboxing and initial impressions. Stay tuned for our full review.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G specs
| Display | 6.43-inch FHD Fluid AMOLED Display, 2400 x 1080, 90Hz Refresh Rate, sRGB, Display P3 |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB Storage |
| Rear Cameras | 50MP Main, Sony IMX766 8MP Ultra-wide 2MP Mono Dual LED Flash, 10x Zoom |
| Front Camera | 32MP Selfie Camera, Sony IMX615 |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE, Dual SIM |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi AX Dual Band, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC |
| Others | In-display Fingerprint Sensor, USB-C, Alert Slider, Stereo Speakers, Haptics 2.0 |
| OS | OxygenOS 11.3, Android 11 |
| Colors | Blue Haze, Gray Sierra |
| Battery | 4500mAh Dual-cell Battery, 65W Warp Charge |
